Pets, School Lunches, Entertainment, etc?

[ednasouth]

I've been reading some postings today and I'm a little confused. Hopefully, someone might know the answers or may be these are some of those things that vary from state to state. I'm filing in Mississippi.

1. Are school lunches included in your "IRS" food allowance? I've heard some have included them under educational expenses and others say they are already included in your food allowance. We have two children in elementary school.

2. What is a reasonable recreational/entertainment expense for a family of four? One of my forms has $50/month and the paralegal said that is the most allowed.

3. Where would you include pet expenses? I've read some have included their annual pet visits. Is this really allowed?

[SMinGA]

The IRS guidelines allow a 'misc' allotment of $X depending on your family size. I would think pet food, supplies, etc. would fit well there. For annual vet bills, divide by 12 to get a monthly average.

I also counted school lunches & school supplies in misc. though I don't see anything wrong with adding school lunches to the food/grocery tab.